The only foreigner! CCNU international student rolls into the cultural tourism circle!

Wearing cotton slippers, boiling apple water, cooking porridge and soup, practicing Baduanjin…… Recently, "Becoming Chinese" has gone viral on overseas social media in an unexpected way.
At CCNU, there is an international student who not only has "native-level Chinese" but has also become the only international face among the first batch of "Hubei Culture and Tourism Recommenders". Let's get to know this Russian girl.

On January 18, the "Intimate Hubei·Global Partners" and "Hubei Culture and Tourism Recommender" Awarding Ceremony, hosted by the Hubei Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and co-organized by the Hubei Provincial Cyberspace Administration, was held at the Hubei Radio & Television Media Building. Alina Slesareva (VASILEVA, ANASTASIIA) (Russian nationality), a master's student majoring in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages at Central China Normal University, was awarded the honorary title of "Hubei Culture and Tourism Recommender", becoming the only international face among the first batch of 10 recommenders. She will use Chinese and Russian as a bridge to vividly showcase the unique charm of Jingchu land to the world.

From Moscow to Wuhan: Language as a bridge, deeply cultivating Chinese culture
Central China Normal University has become my second home, giving me endless care and support. In the future, I am willing to contribute to the development of Sino-Russian friendship. I will not only continue to do academic research and major in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages, but also bring the knowledge I have learned back to my country, so that more people in Russia can learn Chinese.
In 2016, Alina Slesareva (VASILEVA, ANASTASIIA) won the opportunity to study in China through the Russian "Chinese Bridge" competition. In September 2020, she entered our university to study Chinese Language and Literature as a Chinese Government Scholarship student. In September 2024, she won the Chinese Government Scholarship again to pursue a master's degree in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages, and spoke as a freshman representative at the university's opening ceremony.

During her studies, she not only devoted herself to spreading Chinese language and culture to Russia, but also won the first prize in the Wuhan "Chucai Cup" Essay Competition and the first prize in Hubei Province in the "Classic Reading" China Classic Reading Competition with her excellent Chinese proficiency. In 2025, she won the "Zhou Hongyu Huada Outstanding Talent Award" with her solid comprehensive abilities. Over the years, she has been committed to the two-way dissemination of Chinese and Russian cultures, being both a practitioner deeply cultivating Chinese culture and a bridge connecting the friendship between China and Russia.

With passion as the medium: Capturing the beauty of Hubei, conveying the authentic Jingchu
Wuhan is a city full of vitality. The cherry blossoms at East Lake, the night view of Yellow Crane Tower, and the aroma of hot dry noodles all fascinate me.

As a "Hubei Culture and Tourism Recommender", Alina Slesareva (VASILEVA, ANASTASIIA) said her biggest wish is to let more Russian friends see the real, three-dimensional, and vibrant Hubei. Previously, she has appeared many times in official media such as Wuhan Release and Changjiang Daily, introducing Wuhan's urban vitality and historical heritage in both Chinese and Russian, allowing overseas audiences to understand Jingchu culture through her perspective.

From "Participant" to "Disseminator": The cultural responsibility of international youth
Last year, I wore a Warring States period robe and Tujia ethnic costumes to shoot promotional videos, deeply experiencing the diversity and profound heritage of Hubei culture.
At the ceremony site, Alina Slesareva (VASILEVA, ANASTASIIA) performed Chinese dance in Hanfu, showing her love and inheritance of Chinese culture. She also shared the unforgettable experience of participating in the "Red, Yellow and Red" Jingfeng Chuyun Cultural Tourism Axis International Promotion Activity. She said that in the future, she will continue to use short videos, live streaming, and other forms from the perspective loved by young people to tell the "Intimate Friend Story" of Hubei to global audiences, letting the charm of Jingchu cross national borders.

The "Hubei Culture and Tourism Recommender" awarding ceremony aims to gather global strength to further polish the "Intimate Hubei" cultural tourism brand. The recommenders, including Alina Slesareva (VASILEVA, ANASTASIIA), will showcase Hubei's natural beauty and cultural charm to the world through overseas social media, cross-border live streaming, cultural exchange activities, and other diverse forms. In the future, Hubei will rely on the "Global Partners" network to build a broader international cultural exchange platform, let the brand voice of "Intimate Hubei" spread to the world, and create an international cultural tourism destination with greater influence.

"Becoming Chinese" on Guizi Mountain
On Guizi Mountain, there are also many international students becoming authentic "Wuhan locals". They use their cameras to record Hubei's innovative vitality and cultural heritage.
From traditional wisdom to urban life, they unlock the deep codes of Chinese-style living on the streets and alleys of Wuhan.

Yan Yuan (KHALED METWALLY ABDELHAY MOHAMED) is a "foreigner with native-level Chinese" who speaks Chinese very fluently and loves Chinese culture. He usually "popularizes" Chinese language knowledge on his social media platforms. While studying in Wuhan, he often goes to East Lake. For him, East Lake is not only a landscape but also a way of life. This time, he specially took a fashionable dressing trip for Wuhan's wetlands. His vibrant outfit complemented the wetland scenery perfectly. Netizens commented, "The wetland outfit is very energetic and looks great, complementing the scenery here," and marveled, "Wuhan's ecological beauty is truly appealing. This is the harmony between man and nature."

Source: Central China Normal University